WILKES-BARRE (TNS) — President Joe Biden warned on Thursday that “MAGA Republicans” were a threat to democracy.

At a rally Saturday evening featuring former President Donald Trump, those “MAGA” Republicans — a nickname given to Trump’s staunchest supporters — and their top leaders painted an entirely different picture.

In front of thousands of cheering supporters, Trump stumped for Pennsylvania GOP candidates for top state and national offices.

He reiterated his belief that he won the 2020 election. He said he was the victim of a conspiracy at every level of government to prevent him from returning to the White House, “Where they know I’ll clean this mess up again.”

And he said he leads a movement that is the “greatest in the history of our country, maybe the history of the world.”

Trump spent much of his two-hour speech recasting his “greatest hits.” He revisited his election victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 and his first impeachment trial in 2020 — he was acquitted — regarding claims that his campaign colluded with Russia. He bashed the FBI for raiding his home last month, and he took his usual jabs at the media.

He teased at another presidential run in 2024.

”[Biden] thinks making America great again is a threat to our country,” Trump said about the president’s speech in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia last week. “No, making America great again is great for our country.”

Saturday’s rally was Trump’s first public appearance since federal agents raided his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, last month, searching for classified government documents. His rally at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre nearly filled the venue’s 8,000 seats, with additional seating on the floor.

Trump called federal investigators who raided his home “scum.” He called the raid an egregious abuse of the law “that will produce a backlash.” The crowd cheered in agreement, with some attendees shouting expletives about the FBI.

Trump and Biden both made stops in Pennsylvania last week, marking the unofficial start of the mid-term election season. Trump hosted his rally with Pennsylvania’s two GOP statewide candidates, celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz for U.S. Senate and state Sen. Doug Mastriano for governor.

Saturday’s rally began with speeches by members of two families whose loved ones were charged for their involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia, followed the families and said the Capitol rioters should never have been charged. Later, she claimed that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to multiple U.S. presidents, should be jailed for his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During his remarks, Mastriano waved off as “ridiculous” Biden’s warning about threats to democracy.

”We the people are pissed,” Mastriano said.

Trump credited Mastriano for the base the candidate has built and for standing up for election integrity. Mastriano was one of Trump’s strongest advocates in Pennsylvania after the 2020 election.

In true Trump fashion, the former president poked fun at the two Democratic candidates for statewide office: the U.S. Senate nominee, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman; and the gubernatorial nominee, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

He called Shapiro a “lightweight” and Fetterman a “far-left freak show,” to the delight of the crowd.

Mastriano was a clear crowd favorite. Many in the arena wore shirts with his campaign slogan, “Walk as free people.”

Oz spent some of his time on stage recalling his father’s immigration to America from Turkey and his own work as a physician. He also repeated his criticism of Fetterman for not agreeing, so far, to a debate. Fetterman is recovering from a stroke he suffered in May and now says he is pretty much back to normal.

”I’m a doctor, I understand how difficult it is after you’ve had a stroke,” Oz said. “We want to work with him … for democracy to work, you have to answer questions.”

Oz, however, didn’t get the big dose of love from the crowd and some speakers that Mastriano enjoyed.

Taylor Greene, for example, did not mention Oz by name in her remarks. She did blast Fetterman, though, saying he would “destroy this country,” and she strongly supported Mastriano.

Asked afterward why she didn’t mention Oz, she said it was unintentional and pointed out that she was speaking off the cuff, not from a written script. “I just knew I had to say Fetterman is bad,” she added.

In the crowd was Anthony Newhart, of New Ringgold, Schuylkill County. He said that although he will vote for Oz, he still considers him to be “more of a RINO,” a Republican in name only.

When Oz took the stage, in fact, some in the crowd shouted “RINO” chants at him, although the cheers overwhelmed the jeers.

”Do you want Fetterman, then?” someone called out.

”No, but [Oz is] a RINO,” another person shot back.